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O Turns 1!

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Several months ago, I posted about my struggle with Symphysis Pubic Dysfunction and provided some good information on what SPD is and whether or not you can determine if you have it. After enduring several months of physical therapy, at home exercises and taking painkillers & muscle relaxers, I am on my way to a great recovery!

I finished going to twice-weekly physical therapy sessions in late March. At that point, I was out of the recliner (yay!), which I had been in for the 8 months prior, and on the couch (on my back). This was a HUGE step for me since I hadn’t been able to sleep anywhere but in a chair since before giving birth. In early April, I tried our bed and I was able to do it for a few hours, with little pain. Still taking the pain pills and muscle relaxers, I tried it for an entire night and was able to do it, but had some intense pain the next day. Luckily, the pain wasn’t entirely in my pubic bone, but mainly in my SI joints. I say luckily because after nearly a year of SPD, I was finally getting some relief! Although the SI pain was painful, it was much better than SPD.

I am currently in the bed, full-time and have been for 5-6 weeks! I still have SPD pain from time to time, but so little that I barely notice it (compared to what I used to struggle with)! The physical therapy, along with the muscle relaxers and painkillers, really helped me get on the right track to recovery. I still do exercises at home. I still do pelvic floor strengthening exercises (i.e. kegals). I still wear an SI belt. Yes, I still have to maintain a PT-minded lifestyle in order to keep my SPD in check and get my SI joints under control, but I AM IMPROVING!

For anyone out there suffering with SPD, I highly recommend Physical Therapy, a non-narcotic painkiller, muscle relaxers, and pelvic floor exercises (these are what worked for me!). Of course, please consult your physician before undergoing a new exercise or pain-relief regimen. These really helped me ease my SPD pain and are aiding me in regaining my regular lifestyle! Hello walks! Hello biking! Hello enjoying time with my son! Life is wonderful!

If you think you are suffering from SPD symptoms, consult your OBGYN or physician ASAP! Getting SPD under control during pregnancy can ease symptoms after giving birth.

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Yesterday was Mother’s Day – my first as a mom! – and might I say IT WAS FANTASTIC! We actually had an entire weekend of fun, starting on Friday evening with a trip to the mall.

Hubs and O didn’t know what to get me for Mother’s Day (not that they needed to get me anything!) so they wanted ideas. Thus, we all headed to the mall on a Friday night (mistake?). We walked around a bit and stopped in to a few jewelry shops. I found a ‘Mom’ necklace and some earrings I liked, but couldn’t justify both. We decided to have dinner and talk it over before making a purchase. We ate at the food court, which was actually pretty good (we ate at a place called Schoop’s). After we ate, hubs picked up O because he was getting fussy. He was “standing” on Dad’s lap when he reached down, grabbed the 20 oz. fountain drink and brought the straw straight to his mouth. Obviously, he can’t suck through a straw at 6 months old, but he tried! We about died laughing. Did I mention the drink was over half full? Crazy! We ended up going back and getting the earrings I liked. I wear them 24/7 proudly!

On Saturday morning we were invited to our friends’ home for an evening BBQ. We didn’t have plans, so we went – and had a really great time! It happened to be their little girls’ 1/2 birthday (6 months already!) so we brought her a pink sock monkey & a balloon. We also brought our friend a nice tulip plant and ‘Mom’ balloon. At dinner, O had his avocado puree while we chowed down on burgers, corn, baked beans, and green beans – and apple pie for dessert! We stayed until after 10, which is unusual for us since we go to bed quite early. O went to sleep in their pack n’ play around 930 luckily. We had great food & conversation with wonderful friends.

On Sunday morning, hubs let me sleep in a bit and then him & O brought me my Mom’s Day cards in bed (awww!). We all got ready & took a quick trip to the store to prepare for our afternoon BBQ with O’s “Auntie.” We got some Diet Vernors and vanilla ice cream to make my favorite childhood treat – Boston Coolers! When we got home, we made our treat and took O outside while hubs grilled. “Auntie” brought over a beautiful hydrangea plant for me (pretty!) and a pack of MLB Baseball Cards for O (his first!). We had a wonderful time hanging out, eating and talking.

Mother’s Day weekend was a wonderful one – one I will never forget. It is so rewarding being a mother and I can’t wait for the years to come.

I hope you had an amazing Mother’s Day, too! I would love to hear about it. Feel free to tell me below, or in an email! Have a wonderful week! -themidwestmama

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As you saw in this previous post about Bluum, I am a huge fan of their subscription box service. When we received our April Bluum box, specially designed for a 5 month old boy, we were again blown away with the quality and quantity of items included!

I was extremely impressed with April’s box due to the sheer amount of items included. Usually there is a good number of products (5-7 generally), but last month really blew me away because of what was included. I love that so many top brands were present, such as Playtex, Tom’s of Maine, Luna, Priddy Books, and Disney. I was introduced to Priddy Books’ Hello Baby products in February, when we received their Hello Baby high contrast flashcards in our Bluum Box. Since then, we’ve been fans – and we were so excited to receive the Hello Baby Mirror board book in April. O really enjoys their products!

As mentioned in my previous Bluum post, if you’re interested in trying out Bluum for a month, you can get 50% off with my unique referral link! I highly recommend giving it a try, especially since it’s only $12.50 for the first month and you can cancel any time (by the first of the month)!